The fly is native to Europe and Asia but has been introduced into North America as a biological control agent of the invasive winter moth.

Cyzenis albicans is a parasitoid, the female laying its eggs on the surface of leaves which are then eaten by the larvae of suitable host moth species.

[8] This fly is synovigenic, continuing to produce and mature eggs throughout its adult life and needing to feed in order to do so.

The fly has become successfully established in Massachusetts, and the level of parasitism of the moth larvae had reached 20-50% by 2015,[14] after thousands of Cyzenis albicans were released at 17 sites in New England.

[15] In its native range, C. albicans has very little impact on populations of winter moth, and its success in biological control of this invasive pest in Canada and the United States was difficult to predict; soil conditions seem to have been of importance, and there may have been a dearth of natural enemies to prey on the flies, enabling them to become established.